Daily Prayer

Monday, 10 December 2012

Rowan William: “Following the Missionary Spirit”

Ian Mobsby highlighted for me a recent talk by soon to retire (from his
current role) Archbishop Rowan Williams: Following
the Missionary Spirit, delivered on Nov. 22nd 2012 in London @
the Fresh Expressions “Day Conference”.

You’ll find the video and audio here.
Additionally, you’ll find other video and audio from the day, plus a small
selection of video clips of people acknowledging with gratitude Williams’
championing of “Fresh Expressions”.

“…There's an image that John
Calvin used in the Reformation period that I like very much where he says that
looking around you see 'stray and tattered vestiges whereby you may see that
here lie churches half buried'. It's a picture of churches with their spires
just poking out above the levels of drifting sand and Calvin says 'it's there
but you need a great deal of wind to blow away the sand and reveal what's
really there'. Churches half buried that need the wind of the Spirit to be
revealed for what they really are.

So, missional opportunity... let's go right back to the beginnings of
Christian mission; let's go back to the mission of God in Jesus Christ on
earth. What's going on? What's happening there? Why is it and how is it that
people respond to Jesus Christ?

I believe really
passionately that what the gospel shows us is Jesus connecting again and again
with people who don't think they belong. The gospels are deeply, profoundly,
about belonging. People sometimes draw that contrast, don't they, between belonging and
believing and I think it's helpful in some ways but I don't want to overdo it.
Nonetheless, reading the stories in the gospel, I think the message that comes
through most clearly is that Jesus speaks to, reaches out to people who don't
think they belong. They're not part of the chosen people or they are part of
the chosen people and things have gone badly wrong and they no longer feel
welcome…”